personal

Wheels and circles are very helpful. They give us a picture of what a cycle looks like. You start at one point. You follow the outline of the circle so that it continues to get further and further away and then it starts getting closer again until you get back to the beginning. Out and […]
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(With a little shameless self promotion and a little pride …) Wayne Arnason, UU minister in the Cleveland area, and I have just gotten a book published by Skinner House Books. Through personal stories, reflective essays, historical accounts, and thoughtful critiques, twelve Unitarian Universalist Buddhists have contributed essays to create the book. Buddhist teacher Tara […]
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I probably wouldn’t have noticed the “microaggression” if I hadn’t just attended the Unitarian Universalist Allies for Racial Equity Annual Meeting in Rockford, Illinois and just had the third session of Mark Hicks “Beloved Conversations” facilitator’s training Monday evening on “microagressions.” A microagression (examples) is an act or communication to someone, particularly someone who is […]
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When I was young, I never had any trouble generating enthusiasm for Christmas. Little materialist that I was, Christmas was an opportunity to increase my economic position. This was the one time of year that my parents would loosen their purse strings and give us what my sister and I wanted. Not over the top […]
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Anyone who wants to become a minister must wrestle with the question, “What or who calls me to ministry?” Here is what happened to me. My employer, Northstar Computers, was dying a slow death trying to compete with IBM and Apple in 1985. A loyal employee, I should have jumped ship much earlier with the […]
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Just dropped Robert Gonzales off at the Albany Airport to catch a 6am flight back to Portland, OR. My wife Philomena and I brought him back from a three day Living Compassion retreat with him at Rowe Camp in the Berkshires that concluded yesterday afternoon. We were both very inspired by his innovations expanding and […]
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Normally I’m a pretty calm person who doesn’t get disturbed by the personal dramas going on around me. I attribute this to my mindfulness meditation practice that allows me to keep good boundaries between what is my problem and what is another person’s problem. Of course, as a minister, I’m happy to help others untangle […]
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At the Capital Region Theological Center fall fundraising dinner at the Glen Sanders on Monday, I was very interested to hear the Rev. Sherri Meyer-Veen speak about the support the village of Schoharie was getting through the Center. The CRTC has initiated a congregational resource sharing program. Little did Pastor Sherri know, as an employee […]
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